Ikonoklasta: Music Review

Ikonoklasta is a Angolan/ Portuguese rapper who gained fame through political activism in his home of Angola. His music is littered with questions in regard to his country’s government, and continuously denouncing it. As a result when I came across a piece of his work in which he delivered criticism to a non-politically affiliated party I dug deeper to find the exact message of his song, “Nos e ou Outros.” Being fluent in Spanish, understanding Portuguese can be a task, but not a very difficult one. Although the meaning of the song and it lyrical content remained almost intact from a Portuguese to Spanish translation, sadly the English version got lost in translation, although if read a bit more carefully understanding its content may become a bit easier.

Within the song, Ikonoklast arose to speak up against the citizens of Angola who have chosen to suffer in silence. He claims that they refuse to join the revolution because joining the revolution would cause them instability, and that’s a burden they are unwilling to bear. Although, they suffer just the same as the rest of the population, they fear retribution from the spoils of war. They are held back by the fear of losing friends based on ideology, and clients from which the corrupt government. He goes on to claim that these people would rather stay home and talk about la Barca (a soccer team) or watch Novelas (soap operas) than join the battle outside their door.

The overall arrangement of the song is very well put together. The subject was one I did not expect and the lyricism matched the emotion perfectly. The meaning behind the song is powerful and relatable to many. Whether it be fear of joining a war or leaving your comfort zone the message placed within this piece is one many can carry with them in their daily lives.

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